Big Rapids, Mich. - Two standout Ferris State University
student-athletes have received the prestigious distinction as
recipients of the Dean Davenport "Bulldog of the Year" Award for
the 2013-14 athletics campaign in an announcement made today.

This year's award winners include junior goaltender CJ
Motte (St. Clair) of the Bulldog men's ice hockey
program along with talented senior runner Anna
Rudd (Leslie) of the FSU women's track and field/cross
country program, who received the honor for the second consecutive
year. They were selected in voting conducted by the Bulldog
head coaches and selected FSU Athletics Department staff
members.

Both individuals were recognized as the school's top male and
female student-athletes, respectively, for their accomplishments
this past season. Rudd becomes only the eighth student-athlete in
school history to receive the honor multiple times.

"We're thrilled with the selections of Anna Rudd and CJ Motte as
this year's Dean Davenport Bulldog of the Year Award recipients,"
said FSU Atheltics Director Perk Weisenburger.
"Anna is among a select group of Bulldogs who have achieved this
prestigious distinction more than once and she had another
impressive year in leading our women's track and cross country
program while claiming both All-America and Academic All-America
honors, making her a very deserving recipient.

"CJ led our Bulldog Hockey team to yet another outstanding
campaign, winning the WCHA and reaching the NCAA Elite Eight. He
also achieved some great personal recognition as evidenced by being
named college hockey's Premier Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker
Award finalist. We congratulate them both on their accomplishments
both on and off the playing surface," he added.

The Dean Davenport "Bulldog of the Year" Award, which was
reinstated in the 2002-03 season following a seven-year absence, is
presented annually to the most outstanding Ferris State male and
female student-athlete. Award criteria consists of strong
athletic achievements (must be a letterwinner and achieve
outstanding athletic accomplishment), strong individual character
and academic achievement.

The award was renamed in honor of former Ferris State Athletics
Director Dean Davenport, who served in the position from 1979-93.
During his tenure at Ferris, Davenport was instrumental in the
planning of the FSU Sports Complex, the growth of women's
intercollegiate athletics, the emergence of Ferris' NCAA Division I
men's ice hockey program and the development of the athletics
scholarship program. He also led the athletics department to 14
consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)
President's Cup Championships. Davenport also played a key
role in helping found many of the department's key major annual
awards.

Motte was chosen this past season as the
recipient of the National Premier Player of the Year Award
following an online fan vote. The junior netminder, who was also
named as a top 10 finalist for the 2014 Hobey Baker Award presented
to college hockey's most outstanding player, helped the Bulldogs to
the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Regular-Season
Championship in their debut season. FSU also finished as the WCHA
Final Five Runner-Up and reached the NCAA Elite Eight this past
season.

This past year, Motte moved into second place in career victories
for a Bulldog goaltender and now owns a 48-29-10 career record to
date. His 28 total wins in net this season ranked as the
second-best seasonal figure in school history behind the 30 wins
posted by Mike Brown in the memorable 2002-03 campaign.

Motte was also among the nominees for the inaugural Mike Richter
Goaltender of the Year honor and is the latest in a series of
talented Bulldog goaltenders over the past decade that most
recently also included former All-Americans Pat Nagle (2011) and
Taylor Nelson (2012). His total of 28 wins this season was three
more than any other goaltender in the country heading into the NCAA
Tournament.

The junior standout's play helped the Bulldogs compile a
nation-leading 29 victories overall, which ranks second on FSU's
all-time single season chart. He tallied an overall 28-9-3 mark in
net with five shutout victories along with a 2.17 goals against
average and a .928 save percentage this year while ranking among
the nation's top five leaders in winning percentage.

Both an All-American and Academic All-American this year for the
second-straight year, Rudd placed fifth overall
this spring in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Division II National
Outdoor Track & Field Championships as she clocked 35:31.33 in
the event held at the Grand Valley State Track & Field Stadium
in Allendale to wrap up her Bulldog career. The race was her first
of two events in the national championships as she also placed 10th
overall in the 5,000 meters on the final day.

Rudd was the GLIAC indoor champion in the 3,000 meters this
season, while garnering All-GLIAC honors and being named to the
United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association
(USTFCCCA) All-Region and All-America teams for the second straight
year.
Previously, she became the second-ever women's track and field
national champion in school history by winning the 5,000 meters at
the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships and was also awarded the 2013-14
Bulldog of the Year Award for outstanding female athlete. She has
claimed GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honors in the last three
years in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.

This year, Rudd also placed seventh overall earlier in the 5K at
the Division II National Indoor Championships held in March (14-15)
in Winston-Salem, N.C. She clocked 17:14.19 in the 5K at the indoor
nationals to earn All-America honors for the second-straight year
in the event. Rudd also earned USTFCCCA All-Region accolades for
the outdoor campaign and placed third overall in the 5,000 meters
(17:08.22) at the 2014 GLIAC Outdoor Championships.

Motte's selection marks the fifth time a Bulldog men's ice hockey
player has been honored as a winner of the Dean Davenport "Bulldog
of the Year" Award and the third in a row following in the
footsteps of All-America goaltender Taylor Nelson
and former captain Kyle Bonis the last two
years.

Meanwhile, Rudd is among eight women's track and field/cross
country participants to claim the honor and it marks the sixth year
in a row in which a member of the program has earned the
distinction on the heels of three-time winner Tina
Muir (2009-12) and former runner Mikinzie
Stuart in 2008-09 prior to her selection the last two
seasons.